the ger and engineering · example of a project engineering disciplines design of bridges and...

The ger and engineering

Marisol Mercado Santiago

School of Engineering Education

Purdue University

1

Image source: Goldstein & Beall (1994)

Content

Participants’ Introduction

What is engineering?

The ger

The science and engineering of the ger

2CC

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kudumomo/5029432500

Participants’ Introduction

• About Marisol:

• I am working on my Ph.D.

• I was a Web programmer

• I would like to learn more about you :- )

(1) Name

(2) What engineers do? What do they make?

3

What things I did?

• Software design and implementation

• (Web-based and stand-alone programs)

• Database design and implementation

• Software testing

• Programming of hardware

• Computer repairing & maintenance

4

• Activities to design and produce

technologies, systems, products, structures, etcetera.

… according to the engineers’ area of specialization.

Some things about engineering

Design

Produce(construct,

implement,

develop)

5

Example of things that

engineers do

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• Structures

Steel bridge structures

• Systems - Equipment

• Equipment to make and pack

chocolate

https://engineering.purdue.edu/CE/AboutUs/News/Features/CEs

tudentsplaceinSteelBridgeCompetition/steelBridge2.jpg

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K3-stVK0lM

Example of things that

engineers do

7

• Technology

Solar powered technology for

a house

• Products

http://www.purdue.edu/apps/dpmanage/Resource/bilde2.jpg

https://engineering.purdue.edu/ABE/InfoFor/

CurrentStudents/be.html/images/fp.jpg/

http://www.zooly.org/images/stories/shipp

ing-boxes/SB006.jpg

Example of Engineering Design

Projects

Robot that lifts aluminum

cans

http://news.uns.purdue.edu

/images/+2009/boiler-

green-robots1.jpg

Building a ramp

structure to

understand motion.http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/beyo

nd/seed/zan.html

8

Testing a circuit

http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/ar

ticles/2010/12/120310-vbi-

ktu2011.html

The Engineering Design Cycle

9

Source: http://www.mos.org/eie/engineering_design.php

(1)

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Wheel of Engineering Design

(Source: Massachusetts Department of Education, 2006)

Example of engineering projects

Example of a projects Engineering disciplines

Web-based systems, sensor

systems

Electrical and computer engineers

System to measure the efficacy of

medical treatments

Biomedical engineers

11Eng. students showing their wireless home security

system

https://engineering.purdue.edu/ece477/Webs/S11-

Grp07/index.html

Biosensor that measures efficacy of medical treatment

https://engineering.purdue.edu/BME/AboutUs/Newslet

ter/PurdueBiosensormayMeasureEfficacyofEpilepsyand

Seizu/porterfield-optrode.jpg


Example of a project Engineering disciplines

System to supply water Civil engineers: Hydraulic

engineers, environmental

engineers

12Students examining a water distribution system

https://engineering.purdue.edu/CE/Research

Sand filtration water treatment system

http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/purduetod

ay/general/2010/101008_Blatchley.html


Example of a project Engineering disciplines

Design of bridges and structures Civil engineers: Structural and

architectural engineers

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Dormitory model being tested in an

earthquake simulation

http://www.jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/upload

s/news_release/2006/IMG_0696.jpg

Assembling a steel bridge

http://www.jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/uploads/news_rele

ase/2006/Steelbridge2006.jpg

The ger (yurt)

14

CC http://www.flickr.com/photos/prestonrhea/4898086105/

CC http://www.flickr.com/photos/photo_magic_allan/5844653307

CC http://www.flickr.com/photos/

ratha/2935577759

CC http://www.flickr.com/photos/ratha/

2935578859

The ger: Traditional Mongolian

home

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• Walls are made up of lattice “fences”

• Roof is made of wooden poles:

• One end has a peg to fit in the roof wheel

• Rawhide belts (or cords) are placed around the wall to

support it

• Transportable -- mobile


The ger: Traditional Mongolian

home

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• Door always faces South

• Inside the ger:

• North � altar

• Fireplace at the center � has a sacred symbolism for many of them

• Grandparents, parents, and children usually live together

• Close family connections

17Image source: Goldstein & Beall (1994)

Mongolian ger set-up video ☺☺☺☺ :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCKaKwwc9c4

The ger and engineering design

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• Is like civil engineering (structural and architectural

engineering)

• In engineering design we consider constraints:

• What is the environment where the ger will be assembled?

• What are the weather conditions? How about the soil

conditions?

• How can it be suitable for nomadic life of Mongolians?

• Or a more sedentary life?

CC http://www.flickr.com/photos/ifl/3049759736/


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• We also solve problems in engineering design:

• What technologies do we need to have a solar powered stove?

• What technologies do we need to have a satellite television?

• What cultural symbols and art shall we paint?

CC http://www.flickr.com/photos/luigi_and_linda/4792865444


• More decisions to take into consideration in engineering

design ☺:

• It’s winter time! Should we put more wool-felt fabric?

• How big our space needs to be?

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CC http://www.flickr.com/photos/nagy/45202109 CC http://www.flickr.com/photos/wandering_angel/2796744228

How does it stand up?

• Loadbearing wooden lattices (wall) and wooden poles.

• Hardness level of the wood

21Image source: Goldstein & Beall (1994) Image source: Goldstein & Beall (1994)


• The walls of the ger can open and close (collapse and expand).

• The drilling of bolts facilitates the motion (rotation) between the

two wooden poles.

• The design of the walls serve the function of store and move.

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Image © Goldstein & Beall


• Belts around the ger are applying forces to keep the fabrics

and structure in place when the forces of the wind impact it.

• Function to give firmness to the walls

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• Vertical equilibrium

• Downward forces (weight of wool-felt) and upward forces

(reaction forces of the wooden poles and floor) become

balanced, thus, making the structure stable.

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CC http://www.flickr.com/photos/stealthtractor/5022501598

CC http://www.flickr.com/photos/asobitsuchiya/252409148/

How does it keep a family

warm?• Through heat insulation

• Heat can only flow from a warmer to a colder area

• Wool-felt fabrics trap the heat

• Two poor heat conductors (wool-felt and the air trapped inside)

keep a family warm in the coldest months!

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CC http://www.flickr.com/photos/ifl/3968089393

What have we learned? ☺1) Engineers design and produce technologies, systems,

products, processes, structures, buildings, etcetera.

… According to the engineers’ area of specialization,

constraints, and the interrelated society were we live.

• They solve problems

• Create new ideas or improve previous ones

2) Gers are examples of civil engineering (structural and

architectural engineering)

• Designed under constraints, solve problems, improve or

create new ideas

3) How does the structure of the ger stands up.

4) How does it keep a family warm: through heat insulation.

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Thanks for your attention! ☺

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Marisol Mercado Santiago

[email protected]

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate

Research Fellowship.

the ger and engineering · example of a project engineering disciplines design of bridges and...

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